Greg's Latest Responses : Ask Greg

Question from Anonymous

Anonymous asks:

Season 1 had a lot of elements from the young justice comics like being set in happy harbor, secret, harm, world without grown ups, and red tornado. the subsequent seasons havenâ€™t had as much, why is that?

Greg responds:

I think we were very focused on bringing in elements from the 90s YJ comics in that season. But even then, we were doing a mash-up of different eras and different characters, while creating our Earth-16. Since then, we're just moving the characters forward. I could argue, I suppose that our adding Robin (Tim Drake) and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) in Season Two, shows that nothing has really changed. It's always a matter of degree. But we did and do have more influences than just that run of comics. We're not adapting 90s YJ alone. We're adapting the entire DC Universe.

Or trying to, anyway.

Response recorded on June 21, 2022

Question from Anonymous

Anonymous asks:

Greg, are you aware that you can have a Muslim character without making their entire identity about being Muslim? You realize weâ€™re regular people, right? Most of us arenâ€™t religious zealots. We donâ€™t think about being Muslim 24/7. Itâ€™s just part of our identity. You donâ€™t really need to mention it, just like you have never mentioned the religion of any of the main white characters. Or is it more that you feel the need to remind the audience that youâ€™re so inclusive for including Muslims? Whatever it is, you need to stop. This is clearly a blind spot of yours. And donâ€™t reply that some org youâ€™re working with says youâ€™re fine - they donâ€™t speak for all of us and you canâ€™t hide behind that to dismiss criticism.

Greg responds:

I'm not hiding behind anyone. But I also feel just fine saying that an organization like MPAC likes what we're doing and encouraged same. As did the Muslim writer who wrote the episode and the Muslim actor who performed the role. My point is - and always has been - simply this: JUST BECAUSE YOU PERSONALLY THINK SOMETHING DOESN'T WORK, DOESN'T MEAN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AGREES WITH YOU. PERIOD. You don't get to decide for all Muslims what does or doesn't play. I had plenty of Muslim fans thrilled over our depiction of Khalid. Doesn't mean you have to be, but stop trying to tell me that you personally represent an entire religion, when I have a list of people who are also of that faith disagreeing with you.

And, yes, of course, Muslims are regular people. Just like Khalid, for example, who didn't talk about his Muslim identity at all in five out of the six episodes he appeared in this season. So he did talk about it in one episode. One episode that happened to specifically be about a crisis in faith. That doesn't make him a zealot, as you so kindly labeled him. His faith is part of his identity, just as Zatara's Catholic faith is part of his - putting the lie to the notion that we've never addressed the faith of any "white" characters. (Or do you think Zatara is a zealot, as well? Or does he not count because he's not YOUNG?)

In any case, Khalid's faith matters to him. And we're just fine depicting that. For some characters, their faith (whatever it may be) is a big part of their lives. For others, it isn't. That's the way the world works. Why wouldn't our show reflect the world?

Take the excellent ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, for example, where the character played by Sheryl Lee Ralph (our Amanda Waller) is constantly expressing her faith and her belief in God, even though none of the other characters do. (At least not that I've seen so far.) This is life.

The funny thing is, I had other Muslim viewers tell me I couldn't hide behind MPAC to justify Khalid being a practicing sorcerer. To which my answer was much the same.

And on the other hand, I had some fan write me asking why I had gone into depth on the faith of a Muslim and a Christian and hadn't done the same for a Jew. If I did a Jew next season, I'd have someone else ask me why I hadn't done X religion or Y.

So, yes, for these reasons, I am dismissing your criticism. Not because I'm "hiding" or "blind" but because it is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE for me to please everyone. So whom should I listen to? One "Anonymous" fan? Or an organization of human beings who are standing up to see that their people are treated well in Hollywood media. What makes you an expert over them? Why would I do what you want? So that I can "hide" behind you instead?

Basically, Brandon and I go with our gut while following the advise of people who work hard to see representation flourish in this industry, which in and of itself we see as important and necessary and as better storytelling. This isn't new territory for me either. I've been doing this kind of thing since Gargoyles.

There's no blind spot. I'm doing this on purpose. And I like it.

Response recorded on June 21, 2022

Question from Anonymous

Anonymous asks:

Is Giovanni Zatara homo magi?

Greg responds:

Yep.

Response recorded on June 21, 2022

Question from Anonymous

Anonymous asks:

Mr. Weisman,

In the Season One finale of Young Justice, Black Canary regained consciousness while the Team was talking about how the Starro-tech infected the Justice League. But then, by the time she returned to the Watchtower, she was already cured. How did the Team prevent her from attacking them until they were finally able to cure her?

Greg responds:

I guess Klarion must have been distracted.

Response recorded on June 21, 2022

Question from Mohamed

Mohamed asks:

Hey, Greg.

Why did you stop casting child actors for the roles of child characters in Young Justice?

Greg responds:

We haven't stopped. Amistad, for example, was played by a child actor. We're just admittedly inconsistent about it, for a variety of factors. Usually, the reason is budgetary. If a child character only has a couple lines, and we think we have someone from the existing cast - in that specific episode - who can cover those lines, we may elect to save some money, so that we can spend it later on another actor. And then once we've cast someone, we rarely recast, unless (a) we have to because the original actor is unavailable or (b) the character has aged so much that the original actor is no longer appropriate.

Response recorded on June 21, 2022

Question from gen_knight lady

gen_knight lady asks:

when mary took the power of Khalid and Traci in â€œOg Htrof Dna Reuqnoc!â€ I got Phobos vibe from her because he did the same thing to Taranee and Cornelia in "v is for victory". Was that intentional? a hint that mary might fall to the dark side? or maybe to show us that she is still obsessed with power?

Greg responds:

Seems likely. Especially now.

Response recorded on June 17, 2022

Question from Impulse1111

Impulse1111 asks:

Young Justice seems to have a lot to do with time travel the last few episodes, Iâ€™m loving it. One thing I am wondering is Bart Allen, with time travel being such a big part of his season two character why is he not involved at all it seems?

Greg responds:

Not involved at all, huh?

<sigh>

Well, by now, you know he got very involved. Next time, maybe... patience?

Response recorded on June 17, 2022

Question from Anonymous

Anonymous asks:

In which year did the Zatara's flashbacks take place?
What mechanical monsters did Superman vanquish in those flashbacks?

Greg responds:

1. Zatara's flashbacks in episode 412 of Young Justice: Phantoms (which, I assume, is what you're referring to) ran from 1998-2009.

2. Dangerous ones.

Response recorded on June 17, 2022

Question from ShySky

ShySky asks:

Hello! Would you do a video interview for my Youtube channel Digital Bloodlines regarding season 2 of W.I.T.C.H? We already did an interview with Andrew Nichols from season 1. We have contact information on both Facebook and Youtube at Digital Bloodlines.

Greg responds:

I don't even know how to look this up. I'm not on Facebook. I know I have two Facebook pages, but I lost access to them years ago, and I never really grokked that service, so I just let it go.

I do visit YouTube on occasion, to watch a video. But I don't know how to contact anyone there.

Response recorded on June 16, 2022

Question from Anonymous

Anonymous asks:

Mr. Weisman,

So, if I understand this correctly, Kalrion went back in time to 2010, and then he took control of the school bus and put the bus and the kids through all kinds of hell since then. Also, were any missing reports put in on those people? Surely, someone must have seen the bus and its occupants disappear on that day and missing reports must have been filed to the police, right?

Greg responds:

There was hardly time to file any missing persons reports. They disappeared and then reappeared seconds later.

Response recorded on June 16, 2022

Question from Aprotny

Aprotny asks:

Hi Greg! I wanted to start by saying how much Iâ€™m loving the season so far. I liked Seasons 2 and 3 less than Season 1 and have said multiple times since the season aired that season 4 is on par with Season 1 quality! So thank you.
Here are my questions:
1a&b) When did the idea of the bus first come up and who came up with it?
1c) Was the bus planned as a plot point since itâ€™s first appearances in Season 1, or did that thought come up later?
2) When will you have a release date for Part 2 of Season 4?
3) I donâ€™t have a three because any other questions I can think of will be answered with â€œno spoilersâ€
Warm Regards and Eagerly Awaiting Next Weekâ€™s Mid-Season Finale
Aprotny

Greg responds:

1a. Back in Season One.

1b. I don't remember. Me or Brandon Vietti or Kevin Hopps or Nicole Dubuc, most likely.

2. Months ago, now.

3. Appreciate the restraint.

Response recorded on June 16, 2022